Ring Around the Boyfriend
by revolution rae
Summary: Daphne Greengrass and her numerous romantic exploits - including both Draco and Ron.  ON HIATUS
1. The 'Boyfriend' I'd Like to Forget

**Disclaimer:** JKR still has the rights.

**Challenge: **Ring Around the Boyfriend.

**Pairing: **Daphne Greengrass/Draco Malfoy

**Prompt:** Dream

* * *

It was just the dream of a twelve-year-old girl. I was still innocent (well, innocent enough). And since I was verging on my teenage years, I decided it was time for me to get my first _real_ kiss. He was still young enough to have dreams, too. Eventually, he stopped caring about anything but the Death Eaters. But that was later. Our second year of school, we were just two clumsy kids who still wished on stars.

It happened late one September night. I was twelve and trying to be cool, so I stayed up as late as I could with all the fifth years studying for OWLs and the insomniacs. Usually I fell asleep by midnight, but it was at least one in the morning that time.

September 21, 1992. That was the date of my first _real_ kiss. Well, technically the September 22, because it was after one. But that's not my point.

I was sitting in front of the fire on the floor, reading Hogwarts, A History. Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone sat down next to me. I turned to see who it was and, lo and behold, there sat Draco Malfoy, wearing green and silver pajamas and grinning cheekily.

"Hey, Daphne," he said quietly. I smiled back at him, self-conscious in my pajama pants and tank top.

"Hullo, Draco." I smoothed my hair behind my ears, realizing that this was my chance to get my kiss. "What's up?"

Beneath his smirk he looked kind of nervous as he replied, "Nothing. I just couldn't sleep."

"Why not?" I asked, my heart pounding as we inched closer to each other.

"Um, no reason. Why aren't you in bed?" He sounded genuinely curious. I looked deep in his gray eyes. He tilted his head a little, almost looking confused.

"I don't sleep much," I exaggerated, hoping to impress him with my maturity and so-called insomnia. Unfortunately, he didn't seem too impressed. Rather, he seemed kind of surprised.

"Really?" he asked. "Because Pansy said that on the weekends, you never get up until after ten or eleven."

For a moment, I was annoyed. "You and Pansy talked about me? Why?" But before he could answer, I reminded myself of my mission. "Actually, never mind, it doesn't matter." I tried to purse my lips seductively the way I'd seen my mum do when she was talking to my dad. Or to Lucius Malfoy. Or Cornelius Fudge.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You look a little sick."

Realizing that particular plan hadn't succeeded, I quickly returned to my usual expression. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I assured him. "I was just... Never mind."

"Oh, okay." We sat there in silence for a few awkward seconds as I screwed up my courage. Then, my stomach fluttering, I leaned forward and shoved my lips against his. He let out a muffled yelp and jumped back, shocking and embarrassing me. "Ew, what was that for?" he demanded, scrubbing his mouth with the back of his hand.

I blushed. "Well, didn't you want to kiss me?" He groaned.

"No, I was just talking. _Gross_. I'm going to bed, good night!" And he hurried away, flushed and as embarrassed as me.

I glanced around. A good amount of the older students were staring, and some of them were laughing. I slammed my book shut and rushed upstairs, torn between embarrassment and anger.

Suffice it to say, it was not my one of my proudest moments.

And also, it was the last time I chose to stay up with those who had witnessed my "first real kiss."


	2. The Secret, Star Crossed Boyfriend

**Disclaimer: **JKR has the rights.

**Challenge: **Ring Around the Boyfriend

**Pairing: **Daphne Greengrass/Harry Potter

**Prompt: **Train

* * *

I met him on the train on the way to our third year at Hogwarts. Well, we'd seen each other before that, don't get me wrong. We're in the same year, of course we'd met before. But I'd never spoken to him, and I don't think he knew who I was. Knowing all the Slytherin girls wasn't high on Harry Potter's list of priorities, you see.

Anyway, this is how it happened. How it's _still _happening, actually. I left my compartment to get a breath of fresh air. Sitting with those girls can be exhausting, they're ever so catty. And when the guys come in it's even worse, because I have to talk to Draco, and he's always flirting with Pansy, even though in second year he and I crossed the line between friendship and, well, something else. But that doesn't bother me, and it's not the point, that's just how it is.

I was standing outside the compartment, leaning against the wall and just thinking about the coming year. Every now and then other students would pass by, looking for the bathroom or their friends. A patrolling prefect gave me the evil eye once, but I wasn't out there long enough for him to find a reason to get me in trouble, so I wasn't concerned.

About fifteen minutes after I went out there – I _really_ didn't want to be with my friends at the moment, so I was dawdling quite a bit – Harry Potter passed by. I looked at him and I could swear my jaw almost dropped. He'd gotten rather cute over the summer, in that scruffy way some boys can pull off. Draco would never be able to, of course. They were complete opposites in every way, including looks.

I gave him a smile and said, "Hello," as he approached. He stopped, looking a bit confused, then smiled back vaguely.

"Erm, hullo," he said, sounding distracted.

"How are you?" I asked. I admit I was a little disgruntled by his lack of interest, so right away I wanted to make him fall for me.

"I'm alright. How are you?" He still looked confused.

"I'm alright too. Don't you know who I am?" I asked, smirking. He blushed, but shook his head. "I'm Daphne. We're in the same year, Harry."

"Oh, sorry. I don't really know everyone… What House are you in?" he asked me, looking a little more focused now. I rolled my eyes.

"Why does everyone ask that? It's not as though it really matters yet – not until we reach the school itself, that is. Once we get there, we'll never speak again, right? Because I'm a Slytherin," I told him. His eyes hardened, and I sighed. "I knew it. Now that you know that, you'll never look at me again. You Gryffindors are all the same."

He had the decency to look ashamed at that point. "You don't act like a Slytherin," he said. I jutted my hip out to the side, folding my arms.

"I'm not at the moment. Once we reach Hogwarts, yes, I'll be a Slytherin. On the train, I'm just a cute girl in your year at school that's interested enough to be talking to you. And you're not actually a Gryffindor yet either. You're a cute boy who stopped to talk to me." I gave him a charming smile, hoping he'd kiss me. I knew I had a good smile. I was thirteen, after all. I knew how to act around boys. My mother didn't like it, the way I flirted, but she was exactly the same way with all the men she knew.

Poor Harry hadn't caught on yet. "I guess that makes sense, if you look at it that way," he said doubtfully. Boys my age weren't always prepared for me. They hadn't all hit puberty. Harry seemed to be in the midst of it, from what I could tell.

"Well, don't you want to take advantage of us meeting?" I asked him pointedly, and he laughed, sounding a little surprised.

"You're really something," he muttered. I didn't think he meant it as a compliment, but I took it as one and stepped forward.

"Thanks," I said quietly. He was taller than me, which I liked. He started to move backwards, away from me, but I wrapped my arms around his waist and, standing on my tip-toes, pressed my lips against his. I was a good kisser, according to Draco. And the variety of boys I'd gotten to know over the summer when we vacationed in France. Harry, on the other hand, was quite obviously new to the business. He started to pull away, but I kissed him a little harder, a little more fiercely. That got him, and he suddenly kissed me back – he picked up on the proper way quickly.

I slid my tongue into his mouth, and he pulled me tighter to him, gasping a little. I would have laughed at how easy he was, except I was rather caught up as well, for some reason.

We kissed for a moment more, but then he really did pull away, breathing harder than before. "Daphne, um, I don't even _know_ you," he said, sounding mortified. I grinned cheekily at him.

"We could get to know each other," I suggested. "I mean, you _could_ walk away and pretend this never happened. _Or_ we could go to Hogsmeade together sometime this year and continue this." I looked away for an instant. I'd never exactly had a real boyfriend before, but dating Harry seemed appealing to me now.

Harry shook his head, though. "I don't have permission to go," he said sadly. I chewed my lip for a moment.

"Well," I said thoughtfully, "we could hang out on weekends in the castle." He looked down briefly at that, and I caught on. "Oh," I said, a little amused. "You're embarrassed because I'm a Slytherin."

He shook his head immediately. "No, of course not," he lied. "I'm just, er, busy. You know how it is…"

I laughed. "You're not the first guy embarrassed to be seen with me because I'm in the 'bad' House."

"What if, um…" he trailed off, turning red.

"What?" I asked, though I had an inkling of what he was going to say.

"What if we just hung out on weekends sometimes? In the back of the library or something." He sounded hopeful at the idea. The library was, after all, where students went to make out. Madame Pince stayed at the desk usually; it wasn't hard to sneak behind the shelves.

"Wow, Harry. And here I thought you were some kind of noble hero," I said sarcastically, smiling to soften the words. "I'm not interested in being friends with benefits. Either we're dating or we aren't, okay?"

He took a deep breath. "Okay. We can be dating, I guess. But… can we keep it secret? Because, you know. We _are_ in enemy Houses."

I smiled. "I'm okay with that. The way you feel about being seen with a Slytherin? That's similar to how I feel about being seen with a Gryffindor. Not on the train, obviously. But at school."

He smiled brilliantly. "That's good. That's great."

I smiled back at him again, then kissed him quickly on the cheek. "You'd better go, Harry. Your friends will be wondering where you are." He nodded.

"You're right. So, um, bye." He was blushing faintly as he hurried away, and I was smiling as I went back into the compartment.

That was how I starting 'dating' the famous Harry Potter. We tried the secret relationship thing for a few months, but it was boring and frustrating, so we broke it off pretty quickly. Star-crossed love isn't as exciting as Shakespeare made it sound.

Although that's not to say we don't talk anymore. In fact, we meet up on every train ride to and from Hogwarts. Harry Potter isn't quite the starry-eyed maiden everybody thinks he is, thanks to little ol' Daphne Greengrass. Not only have we hooked up on the train, we've dated other people at the same time. Well, I have. I'm not quite sure about him. We don't talk much… our lips tend to be occupied in other ways. We're in our sixth year now. All he is to me now is a guy I make out with a few times a year on the train. And I'm just a girl he makes out with. Although lately he's been backing off, I'm not sure why.

His friend Ron, on the other hand, isn't distancing himself at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. I have good reason to believe that old cliché about redheads being fiery in bed isn't at all untrue. Oh yes, I'm evil enough to be... well, whatever it is I am with Harry, while also, er, _getting to know _his best mate. I mean, I _am _a Slytherin. And admit it, you're jealous that I'm brave enough to do this! Anyway, Hogwarts would be boring without me. Even Hermione Granger couldn't deny that!

* * *

**A/N:** Eh. Not too happy with it. It went better in my head, but this is what happened, and I'm not about to rewrite it; I'm already a day behind schedule. So, I know you're reading this. Leave me a review! What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Worthy of a favorite, or worthy of a flame? Let me know.

**A/N 2: **just noticed fanfic messed up the document and cut off a bit at the end. Fixed it:)


	3. The First Boyfriend to Break My Heart

**Disclaimer**: I am entirely right-less.

**A/N**: Sorry I missed last week. Fanfic was acting up.

**Challenge**: Ring Around the Boyfriend

**Pairing**: Daphne Greengrass/Ron Weasley

**Prompt**: Fire

* * *

We were sixteen the first time it happened. (And the last ime. But that's not the point.) Me and Ron Weasley. We had detention at the same time, from McGonagall, unsurprisingly. She didn't like me, and she didn't really care about him. We were sitting in her room doing lines – mine were "I will not hex students who do better than me in class" and his were "It is not appropriate to sit in the back of the classroom and have phrelations with other students." As we sat there writing, we kept glancing out each other. Then, McGonagall had to run out for some reason, so it was just me and him.

"So," I said, smiling at him and throwing down my quill. "Couldn't keep your hands off Lavender long enough to do your work?"

He scowled at me. Unexpectedly, nerves erupted in my stomach. That hadn't happened since Draco in first year. "Shut it and mind your own, Greengrass," he snapped. I smirked at him, noticing the way his red hair curled at the ends.

"Well, I guess I just can't resist talking to you," I informed him boldly. His ears turned bright pink, which was oddly endearing.

"I – you – er – you –" he spluttered at me, his entire face the color of a ripe tomato.

"What, not used to girls talking to you? Other, that is, than that leech you like to make out with," I said pleasantly. He seemed unable to speak, so I stood and walked over to him. I sat down on top of his desk.

"Hey! Get – get off!" he exclaimed, shocked out of silence.

"Hm… No, I don't think I will," I said slowly. Then, seductive, I leaned forward and kissed him deeply. Unfortunately, he pulled away, looking a little frightening in his anger.

"Get off of me, you slag!" he said loudly, and I jumped off his desk, taken aback. I'd been called my fair share of names before, but never by a guy I was interested in and trying to get to.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, getting in his face. "Who the hell do you think you are to say that to me?"

"You just tried to – I have a girlfriend!" He stood up so I wasn't standing above him, and it put him much taller than I was.

I laughed harshly. "As if _that_ matters to _any_ guy! All you want is sex, I've been with enough guys to know that for a fact."

Ron glared at me. "That's not true!" he retorted angrily. "Not every guy is like that! Maybe every Slytherin bloke, but not the rest of us!"

"Okay, yeah, sure. Then why are you with Lavender Brown? It's obvious you don't give a shit about her, you're in love with Hermione Granger, aren't you? Admit it, every guy just wants sex." I folded my arms. Some small part of me wanted him to prove me wrong, but the more realistic part knew it was impossible.

Now, the blush drained away to be replaced by paper-white. "I – that's – it's complicated!" he stammered, no longer yelling.

"Oh," I said, catching on. "You don't know how to break things off with her."

He gave up trying to avoid the subject. "Yeah. Pretty much."

I shrugged. "Just tell her, 'oi, Lav, you're a leech and I don't want to see you anymore.' It's not that hard."

He ruffled his red hair. "It is that hard, though." He sighed, then shook his head and straightened his shoulders. "But anyway. It's not your business."

"I'm just trying to help. You don't have to be rude," I said sternly, smiling to show that I wasn't serious.

He looked a little uncomfortable with the flirting. I assumed it was the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin thing. Before I had the chance to comment on it, though, he got mad again. "I'm not being rude, it's really not your business!"

I decided it was time to take a more direct approach. "Oh, just shut up," I muttered, then leaned in and kissed him again, with a more insistent edge this time. To my pleasure, he didn't even bother pulling away; he returned the kiss heatedly without a pause.

I'm not quite sure how it progressed so quickly, but suddenly I found myself half-naked on the floor with a fiery blood traitor, and not at all unhappy about it. He was surprisingly sexy with his shirt off – he had a better body than I'd always imagined.

Ahem. Not that I'd ever wondered about his body. Really. I _swear_.

Anyway. Just as we were getting to the good part, McGonagall walked back in. Not one of my proudest moments – being caught rolling around on the floor with a Gryffindor in the middle of a detention. He got like a month's worth detentions for that. McGonagall referred me to Slughorn, since he was my Head of House. I got away lucky – only one detention, since he liked me.

And even better, Ron and I continued to meet. He didn't break up with Lavender, which did kind of hurt, but I didn't expect him to. He wasn't that kind of guy. He couldn't hurt a girl who trusted him. He didn't think I cared about him, so he didn't worry about hurting me. And he never even thought of breaking up with her for me.

We would meet in the Room of Requirement in the middle of the night. At first it was only on the weekends, but as we grew more and more attracted to each other, it became more often. Almost every day, in fact. I couldn't get enough of that boy. He was the first guy I'd "dated" who would do anything other than make out with me. He wasn't necessarily talkative, but he would hold me sometimes. Just gently holding me as we'd lie next to each other. And he remembered my birthday. No guy had ever been around long enough to remember that before. He snuck me out to Hogsmeade and we had lunch at the Three Broomsticks. And then we went back to our Room to... properly celebrate my turning seventeen.

But it couldn't last forever.

After all, we were nothing but flames. We burned out in our passion for each other. We fought and had sex. I guess that was pretty much what our relationship was for him – an angry escape from a clingy girlfriend and a confusing best friend.

It was more for me, though. Ron Weasley was the first guy I truly fell for.

He was my first fire.

I wasn't enough for him, though. He hurt me in the end. He wasn't the first one to hurt me, but his was the worst. He left Lavender first, and then, a few blissful months later, he hurt me as well. I'd already known it couldn't possibly last, but for some reason I let myself believe it would anyway.

It made me a different person. I was already cynical about men in general; I'd been hurt in all the worst ways by strangers and friends. But I'd never been heartbroken. Not until Ronald Bilius Weasley walked away from me with a relieved smile on his lips only seven short months after we got together.

It was my own fault. I was always told not to play with fire. But I did, and the burns and scars it left behind will _never_ go away.


End file.
